Martin expected to end legal dispute with burglar

Tony Martin is today expected to call an end to a legal dispute with a burglar he shot during a raid on his remote Norfolk farmhouse.

Brendon Fearon, the burglar who had been suing Mr Martin over injuries he suffered in the raid, offered to halt the case if the farmer drops a counter-claim for damages.

Friends said Mr Martin, who was freed this summer after serving a jail sentence for killing Mr Fearon's accomplice, Fred Barras, is likely to accept the deal.

Mr Martin's friend and supporter, Malcolm Starr, said: "Tony has always said he will fight this all the way rather than let Fearon make money out of what happened, but I think he will now accept this offer."

The legal battle between Mr Martin, 58, and Mr Fearon, 33, has focused attention on the tension between the rights of a householder to defend self and property and the rights of a burglar injured by a householder to seek redress.

Many supporters of Mr Martin have expressed outrage that Mr Fearon has been given legal aid to fund his case against Martin.

It is believed tens of thousands of pounds of public money has been spent on the case, which was due to be heard next year in the high court.

Mr Starr said he would have liked to have seen the case go before a judge.

He added: "I think there would have been some merit in having these issues aired in court."

It was not possible to confirm Mr Martin's position at the weekend because neither his legal team nor Mr Starr were able to contact him.

Security arrangements put in place amid fears that he could be the target of revenge attacks mean few people know exactly where Mr Martin is. Though he is thought to be living on his land, he is not staying at his farmhouse, Bleak House.

It also emerged at the weekend that Mr Martin was likely to accept invitations to speak at Oxford and Cambridge universities. The farmer, who sold his story to the Daily Mirror, is already lined up to speak to pupils at a school in Peterborough.

Mr Martin confronted Mr Fearon and his accomplice, Fred Barras, 16, at his home in Emneth Hungate, Norfolk, late at night in August 1999. He killed the teenager and wounded Mr Fearon in the groin.

Mr Martin was originally convicted of murder and jailed for life. The conviction was downgraded to manslaughter on appeal and he was given five years.